It’s always a good practice to maintain a clean, safe, well-organized space for customers and employees. Besides helping your store look its best, it creates a more appealing shopping experience—and gives your employees a sense of pride. Here are some tips for keeping your store looking and feeling great.
CREATE YOUR PLAN
Start by creating a plan to get and keep your store clean, organized and sanitized. As you craft your plan, gather information from expert resources. Ask your team for feedback and ideas. Your plan doesn’t need to be complicated, but it needs to be in writing and available to your team. This way, everyone in your store can be clear on the steps that need to be taken to reach your goals.
DEEP CLEAN AND SANITIZE
Sanitizing your store protects everyone from germs and gives them a greater feeling of confidence. Sanitizing may sound daunting, but it’s a simple process when you break it down into small steps.
Cleaning and Disinfecting
- Wear disposable gloves and a mask while you clean and disinfect; ventilate the area.
- Surfaces with heavy use, like checkout counters and carts, should be cleaned and disinfected.
- Items that get heavy use, like keyboards, faucets, handles, keys, cash drawers, etc. should be sanitized as frequently as possible.
- To disinfect, use a manufactured disinfectant, a diluted bleach solution (1/3 cup of bleach per gallon of water) or a 70% alcohol solution.
- General cleaning is important, too—things like vacuuming, dusting, and straightening up to make your store look more inviting.
- Consider providing hand sanitizer for customers who may want it.
Selling Floor
- Soft surfaces (rugs, drapes, soft furniture, fabrics): Do not shake out rugs or fabrics—vacuum if practical or treat with a disinfectant spray suitable for soft surfaces.
- Hard surfaces (tables, desks, products): Use a disinfectant spray or diluted bleach solution. Keep the surface wet for the time recommended on the product label. Dry completely.
Registers/Electronics
- For keypads, tablets, keyboards, remotes, touch screens, etc., consider adding a wipeable cover.
- Use alcohol wipes or sprays containing at least 70% alcohol. Avoid spraying directly on keypads or electronics and follow all manufacturer recommendations. Dry completely.
Offices and Break Areas
(If Applicable)
- Wipe down hard surfaces (desks, tables, chairs, counters) with a disinfectant or bleach solution.
- Disinfect soft surfaces, like chair cushions, with an EPA-registered disinfectant spray.
Restrooms
- Disinfect all high-touch surfaces, like doorknobs, faucets, toilet handles and doors, as frequently as possible with an EPA-registered disinfectant or diluted bleach solution.
- Provide disposable towels, liquid soap, and handwashing reminder signs.
ADD PHYSICAL MARKERS
Physical markers help the flow of your store by providing visual cues that guide shoppers as they move around inside your store. For example, markers on the floor and/or signage can help customers find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. If you choose to implement a one-way traffic flow, arrows on the floor or stanchions with ropes can guide customers. Being clear helps avoid confusion or frustration.
ORGANIZE AND DECLUTTER
Organizing and decluttering is an ongoing process that should be done every day to guarantee your store makes a great impression. Neatness matters!
Look at your store from the customer’s perspective. When you’re familiar with your space, you can forget what it’s like to walk into it for the first time. Try to see it with fresh eyes to notice things that a new customer would. Spruce up any areas that look messy or disorganized.
Make sure your checkout counter is clear and welcoming. If you have small items for sale near the register, be sure to have enough free space for people to comfortably place their merchandise when they check out.
COMMUNICATE YOUR PROCESSES
It’s important that customers know you care about them and their shopping experience. A key way to demonstrate your commitment is to maintain a clean shopping environment with well-organized merchandise. Customers will be able to more easily find what they’re looking for and employees will appreciate the attention to detail.
Share your improvements and new processes with your customers in your communications, advertising and marketing. Include things like contactless payments, curbside pickup, or other ways you have improved their shopping experience.